A Trove of Treasure

A few years ago, we packed up my Grandparents home as they became unable to live independently. We moved them into my Dad's house so they took some of their belongings and each of us grandchildren chose to keep some of the things with special meaning and memories of our time with Gram and Pap. Last week, Gram's rolling pin provided me a way to crush coffee beans in the power outage. This week, while packing for a move of my own, I went through the box of the other treasures I had saved from their house and found another gem - her recipes.

I remember standing in the kitchen on a stool, not yet tall enough to reach the counter. She and I would spend the days together cooking up a treat or dinner for the family. She always made sure to combine cooking with learning about measuring, and doing things in order, and dry vs. wet ingredients. She also passed along safety rules in the kitchen and I still make certain the handles of pots and pans on the stove are turned in to avoid an inadvertant bump and spill of the hot contents.

We would laugh and taste and try something new from the latest magazine or newspaper column. Some of the things turned out plain awful and we didn't care. Most of our creations were soon enjoyed by the family and she and I would glow from the compliments. Cooking was something we did together. To this day, she will happily tell the story of the time she asked me to wash the potatoes for dinner and later found me standing (on my stool) by the sink scubbing the potatoes clean with dishsoap.

As I leaf through these pages, I can't help but wonder if we've lost the treasure of cooking with our children. In our fast-paced, get-things-done-kind-of-world, families don't cook much at all anymore. And, what many people now consider "cooking" is to open a box to throw it into the oven.

I fear we are raising a generation of kids who won't have the chance to benefit from one of the sweetest memories of my childhood. Cooking isn't something to get done. Cooking is something to savor and enjoy with the people we love. A world, and dare I say hearts, open when you stand in the kitchen with someone and prepare food out of raw materials.

I think our world, our hearts and our kids could benefit from a great big dose of cooking together. A humble thought, perhaps, and one worth considering.

What do you Love?

In the run up to March 1st and your New Spring Resolutions, today we're going to talk about love. Seems appropriate, it being Valentine's Day. While I'm at it, Happy Valentine's Day!

I trust you had a good weekend of sleep and dreams. Hopefully, you are well rested and remembered, or rekindled, a dream you've had for your life. We're going to get back to you life's dream later this week.  Today, let's be about love.

To help you with your New Spring Resolution, I want you to think about what you love. And, while you're thinking about love it would helpful for you to make a list of what you love. There are a few rules, of course. What you love can be:

• A person
• A place in nature
• An experience (either past, present or re-occuring)
• A pet

What you love, for the purposes of this exercise, shouldn't be a thing you buy. Sure, you can love your car or love your house, but we're talking about a bigger sense of love today.

Once you have your list of what you love, I want you to describe how you feel when you love it. For example, when I return home from a trip, I'm always greeted by my dog, Loki. He jumps, barks, shakes, wags and is generally very excited. In that moment, I feel grateful to be home and I forget any of the trials and tribulations that often come with travel.

Other ideas? Perhaps one of the things on your list is the beach. Maybe you love the beach because of the sound of the waves and the feel of sand between your toes. Maybe you love each time you wake in the morning to a kiss from your sweetheart. Maybe you love the time you created a piece of art or spoke in front of a crowd about your favorite topic. Maybe you love sitting with your kids after they return from school to share a snack and a story from the day. There is lots to love out there...

The idea to get in tune with how you feel when you sense "love." We all love the feeling of love so it will help each of us to get more love if we know what love feels like for us. Make sense? Excellent! Explore love today, enjoy Valentine's Day and we'll see you here tomorrow!

Gratefulness

Yes, Thanksgiving is over and thus the "day" to be thankful is behind us. You are now free to go back to your usual self and grumble about the economy, the weather, your job, etc. Need something to grumble about? Read the morning newspaper or watch the morning news. Egad.

Or.... or, you could try something new. Welcome to December 1, 2010. For the record, this is the only time, ever, that today will be December 1, 2010. Seems like something worth celebrating or, at the very least, acknowledging.

To celebrate this month and start my day with a smile, I made a list of the things I feel grateful for this morning. My love, my son, my dog, the pending birth of the newest baby in the family, frozen organic wild blueberries for breakfast, the flowers that have inexplicable bloomed on a palm-like tree in my house...

Starting the month by remembering the things I'm grateful for makes the day seem brighter. If each day seems brighter, it will actually start to feel brighter and pretty soon the news won't matter so much any more. Take a few moments and jot down 3 things you're grateful for today. Three little things can make all of the difference in the world.

Body Image

You have an assignment. Take all of your clothes off and stand in front of the mirror. What do you see? Are there parts of your body you love? Are there parts of your body you're not so crazy about? Look carefully... where do you see muscle tone? Is your skin clear? Are your eyes more sparkly? Is your hair shiny?

All too often when we catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror the first thought that goes through our mind is something negative. Ugh, we say, my (insert your particular flavor of criticism here.)

Have you taken the time to celebrate your physical form and be grateful for all of its hard work and effort? If not, while you're standing in front of the mirror in all of your naked glory, tell your body thank you. It does a terrific job for you each and every day, even when there are things about our bodies we're not so crazy about.

The impact of body image on our overall health and well-being is significant. If you feel better about your body, you're more likely to feel better about you. There are no perfect bodies and many of the people that spend all of their time striving for the perfect body usually do so while sacrificing something else in their lives (often happiness). Eating well, exercising each day and getting enough sleep can improve your body and greatly elevate your body image.

Tell your body it is beautiful. When you do, your body is more likely to tell you the same thing back. 

10 Lists to Write Before You Die

This blog, posted in 2008, contains a list of 10 lists you should write before you die. Kudos to Dee for a great blog that I've used several times. The 10 lists:

• 10 people who helped me most in my life
• 10 most memorable places I've visited
• 3 best things I've ever made
• 5 best days of my life
• 10 best friends I've ever had
• 5 best journeys I've ever made
• 10 things that gave me the most pleasure
• 5 best books/movies/TV series
• 5 best gifts anyone ever gave me
• 10 things I wish I had done but didn't

The original blog suggests these lists are a good exercise for those nearing the end of their life. While a great idea, I think there are several ways to build on the idea. Go to the link and read the original post (great, great stuff) and then stay tuned for my other ideas (and some fantastic stories) on the topic during the rest of this week.

Life Portfolio

Hopefully, you began your gratitude practice today. Easy enough to do, remember, you can express gratitude for others or start a list for yourself. If you've begun your list today, you are already feeling a bit happier. Come on now... you can admit it. You're here among friends.

Not being one to stop with one good idea, here is another wee thing to consider. Create your Life Portfolio. A Life Portfolio is a collection of the greatest moments in your life. The Life Portfolio is best designed as a scrap book and is best done in the moment. The idea is to have a place to collect and remember those moments in your life when you say "I'll never forget this" or "This is the best day of my life." I suspect, while we have the best intentions of remembering such things, as the days and years go by, we can forget the thoughts, emotions and feelings associated with the greatest moments in our life.

What are the greatest moments in your life? I think it differs for each of us. Some obvious choices are college graduation, your wedding day, your child's birth, a great promotion or quitting a job that didn't fulfill you, dropping your first born at college. I contend there are more subtle choices as well (and the subtle choices can result from your gratitude list). A particularly beautiful sunset. A moment when you felt utterly and completely content. The first time in a new country. Receiving flowers just because. Or sending them.

Why would you devote time and energy to creating a Life Portfolio? Mostly because life is ever so sweet and even more short. And before you know it, the days have gone by and it will be your time to go. Collect and record the best moments of your life so you have something to read while sitting in the rocking chair on the porch. You'll really appreciate it then. And, the best reason of all? Something to leave to your loved ones. Some small piece of you to share with those who will live on after you've gone.

Health comes in all forms. Exercise and eating well are two ingredients. Enjoying each day and being grateful as we live them... that is the real secret.

Do Squirrels Call the Vet?

Mobile phones are ubiquitous. The number of Americans with a mobile phone is 89% (as of June 2009). How many wild animals have mobile phones? Zero. Or at least I have not witnessed any animals with mobile phones. Google doesn't even know what to do when I seek such data. Go ahead and try it... interesting results.

When Americans feel sick, we call a doctor. Not only do we call a doctor, but we expect the doctor to cure us. And cure us NOW. Give us a pill, a shot, a surgery, a something (an anything!) to make us feel better.

Here is an interesting thought... What do squirrels do when they feel ill? Do they call a veterinarian? They cannot, even if they had the desire. They don't have mobile phones.

What they do is perhaps the best model for what we humans might consider. They rest, they eat a specific plant or root (proven effective by eons of squirrel experience), they drink more water, or their animal family gathers to say goodbye.

I'm not proposing we stop calling our doctors when we don't feel well. I'm not suggesting we walk away from our American medical system in favor of walking into the forest and eating plants. I'm also not suggesting we call a vet when we're not feeling well (though I do contend my animals get far better health care than many humans I know).

What I am suggesting is each of us (yes, I mean you and me) consider our bodies intuitively know what is best for us. I am suggesting we stop assigning responsibility for our health to someone else. Be your own primary care doctor. Be your own caretaker. Make the choices you know are best for your health and well being. Not the choices some "expert" suggests, certainly not the choices a marketing campaign suggests, and, in many cases not the choices your family exhibits.

Health is personal. Take a hint from nature. Make your own health your own first mission.

Women's Life Expectancy

Research shows with "one-point increase in their Body Mass Index, women had a 12% lower chance of surviving to age 70 in good health when compared to thin."

We all know we have to maintain a healthy weight. We all know we have to eat well. We all know we have to get enough sleep. And, we all know we feel better when we do.

If you can't do it for yourself, do it for the sake of someone you love. Your spouse, a friend, your child, a pet or a passion.

Getting started is the hardest part. Keep it up is the next hardest part. Doing if for someone you love? It is easy. When you join our web portal, you'll have access to many exercise videos that are only 5 or 10 minutes. Starting with something, even 5 minutes a day is better than nothing at all.

Do it for someone you love.
Do it so you'll be around to love them for a long, long time.